Judge wants time to decide if accused leaker stays jailed

Sep. 29, 2017

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A federal judge wants to take some time before deciding whether a Georgia woman charged with leaking U.S. secrets should remain jailed until her trial.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps heard arguments Friday in Augusta from prosecutors and defense attorneys for 25-year-old Reality Winner. She is making her second request to be released on bail since her arrest in June.

News outlets reported the judge adjourned court Friday without making a decision, saying he planned to rule next week.

Winner was a contractor for the National Security Agency when she was charged with copying a classified U.S. report and mailing it to a news organization.

Prosecutors say there's a risk Winner could leak more secrets if she's released. Her attorneys say there's no evidence she took other classified materials.